she'll eat your heart out

I

I find myself awfully fond of flowers. The language of them, significance, and culture allow me to truthfully indulge in the creative art of communication and poetry. As I find myself getting older and older, their meaning in my life only increases as I continue to tie their purposes into my life.

Returning from the greenery in the bitter town of Jericho, a land of washed-up and culture-less people where it's always raining and the smell of death lingers from the woods, I feel the thorns of a crimson rose lightly press into my scales, as the sound of Stevie Nicks crying out to a hard guitar riff plays over my headphones.

I bop my head to the song and add a little stride in my step as rain drizzles over my scalp of long brown hair. My eyes, as hazel as a tree nut, glance over across the street at the little cafe at the corner. The Weathervane. My personal haven since I had come to the miserable town. To contemplate, to think, to talk to my favorite barista, or just to enjoy my chai latte that's pre-made before I can even utter the word "please".

The little shop bell rings as I enter, tucking a piece of my bangs behind my hair as I walk up to the register.

"The usual?" The beady-eyed, chestnut-haired boy (whose name happens to be Tyler) reminds me. I slide my five-dollar bill across the counter and pick up the to-go cup, sighing from its warmth in my hands.

"Keep the change, pretty boy. Gotta be out as quick as I got in," I reply, uncapping my latte to sprinkle my usual cinnamon topping. Looking down I realize, he's already poured it in.

"Figured I'd save you some time since I thought you'd actually be staying this time around," Tyler replies with a half smile-half smirk. I smile softly in reply and cap my latte.

"Then I'll just have to stay twice as long next time," I say with a wink before turning around with my latte towards the door.

"Cute rose by the way," He calls after me.
"What rose?" I say, using my spells to tuck it into the pocket of his apron. Tyler furrows his eyebrows before noticing the flower tucked away. I laugh and head back out onto the street.

Saving myself from the troublesome walk ahead I wave my free hand ahead of me and create a green portal that glows and sparkles against the gray of the street, stepping into it. On the other side, I walk straight into the main hallway of the Nevermore campus, pushing through the large oak doors to reveal the quad.

Ahead of me, the stone tables hold several groups of students who are conversing and giggling, trapped in their own little bubbles. But the only peculiar thing to me is that against the dark indigo color of the uniforms is a hint of black.

"Maddie!" Bianca Barclay (my roommate and best friend) calls out to me. Her call disrupts my thought as I head in her direction.

"You forgot to bring me a latte this time during one of your trips," Bianca says, tapping her foot at me.

"Not my fault I got distracted," I say with a cheeky smile before taking a sip of my tea and sitting at the fountain, pulling out my laptop from my bag and setting my drink down at the lip of the fountain.

"We're planning to hit up the harvest festival tonight, Yoko and Ajax are coming with us. You gonna show face or keep that pretty face in a book?" Bianca comments, rambling on about tonight's plans.

"Sure, I'll come. I just gotta finish transcribing our music for the season," I say, clicking away at the sheet music on my computer.

The Harvest Festival, one of many extended invitations to Nevermore Academy from the townies of Jericho, inviting us to participate in their festival/carnival to celebrate the new beginnings of the year.